


Get Your Shield Up

by jeni_andtheafterthought



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Auror Training, Bullying, Kissing, M/M, Minor Injuries, Showers, Sparring, bullying not between harry and draco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 09:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17221115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeni_andtheafterthought/pseuds/jeni_andtheafterthought
Summary: Auror training has changed and not everyone is happy about that. Now required to train in hand-to-hand combat, Harry and Draco are partnered up. Harry knows he's stronger than Draco, but that doesn't mean he can go easy on him.





	Get Your Shield Up

**Author's Note:**

> this was a response to a drabble request, many apologies for letting it sit in my inbox for over a year.
> 
> I can't thank [ XxTheDarkLordxX ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxTheDarkLordxX) enough for being an amazing beta and for helping me with the ending...(she pretty much handed it to me).

Harry strapped on his gloves and waited for the instructor to pair them off. Sparring was a relatively new addition to the Auror Training Program. However, with the rise of non-magical individuals running into magical law enforcement, training for hand-to-hand combat quickly became a necessity. Even the older Aurors were going through the classes to become re-certified.

“I’ll have you know, I know karate,” a voice from the other end of the room said.  

Harry looked up in time to see one of the Aurors rush at his opponent. The older Auror, Smith if he remembered correctly, was not keeping his bodyweight centered. When he threw a punch at his opponent, his balance was off just enough for the smaller man to avoid his fist and drive his shoulder into Smith's gut. With a single fluid motion, Smith was thrown over his opponent and landed on his back. 

“Dammit, Malfoy! What did I tell you about throwing my people on the ground?” Richards, the instructor, shouted.

“Nothing, sir. Unless it was after you told us not to get ourselves a broken nose.”

Harry hid a smile.

“You have a smart mouth on you today. How about we get Alvarez over there to level you out?” he shouted, sending a dark haired woman over in Draco’s direction. “Potter, Calhoun. You two take the third mat.”

Harry watched Alvarez and Draco step toward each other. Without warning, Alvarez took a swing on Draco. He pulled out of her reach just as she grabbed the front of his shirt and drove her fingernails toward his eyes. Before Harry could react, Draco dodged again and punched her near her left shoulder. A sick crunch filled the room followed by her scream. He had broken her clavicle.

“MALFOY, MY OFFICE. NOW,” Richards bellowed.

“That’s bullshit,” Ron shouted. 

“Do you want to join him?”  

“She was fighting dirty. You know you saw it.” 

Richards was red-faced and seething, “I don’t appreciate your implications, but I will see both of you in my office when I see fit to leave this room. Now if any other trainees would like to step out of line and attack my Aurors, this would be the time.” When no one moved, he helped the mediwitch pull Alvarez off to the side to fix her broken bone.  

Harry knew he would be hearing about this later.

 

The next day, a different instructor took over the class. She reminded Harry of Luna, if Luna were to pack on about ten kilos of muscle.

“I’m Vanessa Portland. I’m in charge now. It has come to our attention that there is an unforgivable amount of, for lack of a better word, bullying going on in this class. I will not have it. If you’re here, it is because you have earned a place in the Auror Training Program.”

Smith scoffed. “Some of us aren’t trainees.  I’ve been doing this job for—”

“Shut your mouth or get out,” Auror Portland said. Even with the calm delivery of the words, no one argued.

“We’re going to run through a warm-up before I pair everyone off. Remember, no gear today. Gloves only. You can use grappling or light sparring gloves. Your charmwork will be evaluated as well as overall performance. At minimum, shield charms need to be, head, torso, forearms, shins. Questions?” 

Harry wasn’t sure why, but he was absolutely humming with anticipation. Portland could tell him to punch through a stone wall right now and he would try without question. Her energy and focus was palpable. By the time everyone was ready to pair off, Harry was near shaking. His charms were passable, but not as good as he would like them to be. Harry knew his shield charms could withstand a punch to the face or two, but he didn’t want to risk a third.

As if on cue, a voice across the room grabbed Harry’s attention.

“I’m not fucking partnering up with him. He broke my damned collarbone yesterday,” Alvarez snapped.

Auror Portland shot Draco a questioning look. He shrugged at her as though that was enough. 

“You fight dirty?” she asked.

“No worse than she did,” he answered.

Taking that at face value, she asked for a volunteer from the Aurors to step in for Alvarez. When no one spoke up, Harry failed to hide a laugh. Auror Portland immediately called him over.

“Guess it’s you then, Potter.”  

Harry glanced over at Draco. The look on Draco’s face already had Harry’s heart racing.  

“Scared, Potter?” Draco whispered.

“You wish.”

Draco winked at him before Harry handed his glasses off to Portland. She told them to ready their shields and wait for her signal. Harry thought he was ready, but when Draco closed on him, he knew he was wrong. Draco knew him. Draco knew how he moved, knew his strengths, and worse, his weaknesses. Heat bloomed against his right cheek the first time Draco was able to land a punch. The charm held, but it was still disorienting. 

Harry stepped out of Draco’s reach trying to catch his breath for a second. His first instinct was go go back in with a jab, but Draco was expecting it. If he was going to get any points against Draco, he was going to have to surprise him. Without thinking, Harry caught Draco in the chest with a roundhouse kick, knocking them both off balance.

“There we go,” Draco ground out.

Harry huffed a laugh and went back in for the jab he’d decided against earlier. Draco blocked him, though he could see the strain on the other man. Draco’s shield charms were impeccable, but Harry was strong. He was physically stronger than Draco, but Draco was fast. Blocking most of what Harry sent his way, his charms held but it was taking a toll on his offense. 

Realizing Harry was taking advantage of this, Draco dropped as Harry charged him, lifting Harry’s weight off the mat. Draco was on him before he could catch his breath. Harry raised his arms to protect his face. 

“Get your shield up,” Draco shouted, swinging his fist toward Harry’s jaw. The charms on his forearms were solid, but he knew his focus was lacking on the charm protecting his face and head. 

Harry bucked, trying to throw Draco off him, but Draco’s thighs held him tightly in place. 

“Get. Your. Shield. UP.” Draco shouted, coming in this time with a left hook. 

Pain blossomed across Harry’s face. 

“Shield! NOW!” Draco screamed. 

Harry stared up at Draco, despite the slightly fuzzy vision without his glasses. He took the split second he had before Draco hit him again, this time on his right. He pulled his entire focus to the shield charm Draco was about to test. He kept his eyes on Draco’s, not on the fist coming for him. 

He still felt Draco’s gloved knuckles against his head, but the buffer of the shield coupled with the recoil of the magic crackled against Draco’s fist. 

“Nice shield recovery, Potter,” Portland said from the edge of their mat.

He didn’t look in her direction. He was too distracted by the ghost of a smile on the blond man’s lips. Harry bucked again, this time able to shift his weight from under Draco. 

Scrambling to their feet, Draco held his stance, waiting on Harry. He wanted to lunge for Draco, but he knew it would only land him on the mat again. Instead, he winked at Draco and took a step back, daring the man to come at him.

Draco shook his head, but stepped forward anyway. He was going for Harry’s head again. Harry knew it before he realized it. When Draco’s left fist started it’s arc toward him, Harry jabbed for Draco’s ribs. 

“You’re done.” Portland clapped her hands, trying to draw their attention.

The air rushed from Draco as Harry’s jab connected. He knew he was losing, that is, if they had been keeping track of points instead of evaluating the shields. He refused to quit. By the defiant look on Draco’s face, it was evident that Draco wasn’t finished either.

Harry stepped forward, feigned a hook with his left hand, and went in again with his right. It was one of his few advantages against Draco. Defensive stances were difficult against left-handed opponents like Draco. Regardless of his focus, he always felt like he was wide open. 

“Malfoy. Potter. Done.” Auror Portland repeated.

They froze. 

Draco whispered, “Give up?”

Harry was determined to knock Draco on his arse. He was quickly getting frustrated. He was stronger than Draco, why was it so bloody hard to beat him? He rushed him, landing a couple more punches before Draco got past his guard and bloodied his lip. 

Harry hissed in pain and narrowly guarded against the uppercut Draco aimed at his torso. Knowing Draco’s stamina was going to start becoming more of an advantage, Harry threw himself into a combination of punches with his right hand. With Draco’s dominant hand busy blocking, Harry was less worried about catching another punch to the mouth.

Draco was circling, avoiding Harry’s right fist, not realizing until it was too late that Harry was setting him up.  Draco didn’t see the high kick coming until it was too late. Harry’s leg crushed into Draco’s side, and two things became obvious at once. First, Draco had let his shield weaken. Second, Harry was sure that if he hadn’t broken Draco’s rib, he certainly bruised the hell out if it.

A sudden burning pain washed over his entire body with an intensity that left him immobile. It faded as quickly as it had come.

Auror Portland approached them with no worry of being hurt by a stray attack. “When I say you’re done, you are done.” She spoke slowly but her anger was obvious. “Your injuries serve you right.”

Harry looked over to Draco. His hand was pressed to his side and face paler than usual. Draco would have returned the look, but his eyes never made it past Harry’s chest. Looking down, Harry realized he had blood on his shirt. The dark red trail stood out on the grey fabric, and seemed to remind Harry of the pain in his mouth. 

“Potter, go clean up. Malfoy, get that rib checked. I don’t want to see either of you until tomorrow. Any more blatant dismissals of instructions, and you will both fail the class and will be re-enrolled in the next course.” 

“Yes, Auror Portland.”

“Yes, Auror.”

“The next course begins in six weeks. You will be suspended from all related training during that time. It may result in a delayed graduation from the Auror Training Program. This does not hurt my feelings. I will not hesitate. Do not test me.” She held them at attention despite not having once raised her voice. 

Harry nodded.

“Understood,” Draco said.

“You are dismissed,” she said.

 

Harry made his way into the locker room. Peeling his bloody shirt over his head was less taxing than he expected it to be. Maybe his shield charms were, in fact, getting better. He rinsed his shirt in cold water under the tap to keep the bloodstain from setting. He would floo-call Hermione or Ginny later. They would likely know how to clean a bloodstain more effectively than he would.

He tucked the shirt into a bag and headed for the shower. Stepping into the hot spray, he watched the pink-tinged water run down his body. Once it cleared, he gingerly touched his lip. It was swollen, but the bleeding had stopped. 

“Poor baby,” Draco said. 

Harry turned quickly, facing the open stall door. Draco stood wrapped in a towel and completely dry.

“Come here. Let me fix that for you.” Draco stepped forward, dropping the towel. He pulled Harry into his arms. Draco pressed a gentle kiss against Harry’s bruised mouth. Instantly, Harry felt a wave of magic roll over him. The pain lessened and Draco smiled against his lips. 

The arrogant display of a wandless, wordless healing charm had Harry’s cock hardening against Draco. He whimpered and wrapped himself around Draco.

“You’re doing better with your charms.”

“Not well enough, it seems,” Harry argued. “You and that damned ‘southpaw advantage’ bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit if I keep beating you. You caught me pretty good at the end, though.” 

Harry pulled back and looked at Draco’s side. “How bad was it?”

“Just a bruise. I had a potion in my bag. I think I took it before the worst could set in.” 

Harry leaned in and kissed the faint purple mark. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine. You did good. You caught me off guard. Maybe one day, you’ll actually beat me...come out on top for once?” 

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Harry asked, pulling Draco into the spray of the shower. 

Draco hummed his agreement. He kissed a trail down the side of Harry’s neck.

“I think I should probably stop by your place tonight to check on you. Make sure your potion worked. I mean, it was me who kicked you in the first place. I should be the one to take care of you.” Harry said.

“There’s really no need. You can just admit you liked the way I had you pinned to the floor and avoid the pretense.”

“I liked the way you pinned me to the floor, Draco.” 

“Fuck,” Draco groaned. He pulled out of Harry’s embrace. “I need to hurry up get out of here before we’re caught. We’ve only got another four hours of training before I get you all to myself.” 

“I’ll be rock hard the whole bloody time.” 

“You really are the worst.” Draco smiled and left Harry alone, moving over to the next stall. 

Once the water started, it was mere seconds before the first of their fellow trainees’ voices could be heard from the main locker room. Harry knew they’d been cutting it close lately, but if anyone noticed the trail of water from Harry’s shower to Draco’s, no one said a thing.

As Harry had watched him go, he realized he might not quite like the new training. He certainly didn’t like losing to Draco as often as he did, but seeing Draco take control was worth it—they were worth it.


End file.
